January

January can be such  a dreary month. The days are short and the weather is fierce. It can be a depressing month for some but not for me. I like January. I like the evenings when it is too cold to be outside and we are all home and inside together. I enjoy dinners together and the conversation around the table. We can get some pretty lively debates, er, rather discussions going. I like back to school and back to routine. I like sitting on cold evenings with a hot cup of tea and reading a book or playing a game together or, with the arrival of all the seed magazines, planning the garden. Don't get me wrong, I'm still not a fan of the cold or the snow and I for sure don't enjoy winter driving but I do like that the cold season brings us closer together and for that, I am thankful.

 No filter, I promise. Just a beautiful winter sunset!

Of which there are many! Sorry that you can't fully appreciate it in a photo.

Post holiday healthy eating.   Cheesy Lentil Casserole is one of my favourites!

Our drinking water system is hooked up.

The last of the water treatment system is installed.

This is the result! Some of you might take crystal clear water for granted but having dealt with high iron levels from living in rural areas for most of our married life, this is a most welcome sight! Still clear, even after a couple of hours!

We got this new-to-us mirror for the main floor bathroom. Neither of us really liked the frame though so we have some plans for a new one. Stay tuned!

These stools are my new favourite!

I love that the kids can sit up to the counter and help out or just chat and keep me company while I'm working in the kitchen.

Outside, the games are fun!  If you can stand the cold!

Even when your brother squishes you! (She's still smiling!)

The snow is fun but I think it is time to go in and warm up!

Thankfully there are lots of things to do inside... where it's warm! When school is done, it's time to do what you enjoy! Hannah is working on a paint by numbers.

Steve enjoys drawing. (He didn't think he was making great progress capturing different facial expressions so he pulled out some of his drawings from a couple of years ago for comparison. I do believe he's made progress!)

Joey likes to draw too and has been experimenting with different subject matter...

...but he always comes back to his favourite, dinosaurs!

For the younger girls, there's games and puzzles and Playmobil and toys and dolls. The list goes on and on. There is never a shortage of fun things for them to do after school. The problem is choosing one!

Ah, the seed catalogues! This is where you will find Phil!
*taps foot impatiently waiting for spring*

And me? This is my hobby. I enjoy writing about and documenting our progress.

Thankful to stay warm while the snow continues to fall.

An after dinner, pre-bed game of Dutch Blitz. 

We haven't accomplished very much on the house. What we have had though is rest. Much needed, much appreciated rest! It hasn't exactly been 'work on the house weather' though so at least we don't have to feel too bad about it. It has been solidly in the -20's and with the wind chill, pushing -30, so not really conducive to siding. We were incredibly blessed to have such mild winter temperatures while we were building the house but the deep freeze has returned this year. 

Brrrrrrr!!!!

We like to look back on where we were at the same time in different years and it has definitely been colder this year. This is where we were in 2016 and 2015.  You can tell it was much milder because some of us weren't even wearing hats or gloves! Not so this year! Outerwear is imperative despite the children usually only lasting outside for 20 minute intervals or so. That is, if they go out at all. Phil has continued to work through it for the most part although they are slowed down considerably by the cold weather and have to take multiple breaks throughout the day to warm up.

The other concern with working inside the house at this time is proper ventilation. We can't open the windows for dust and such because it is so cold so any indoor sanding projects or dusty projects of a similar nature also have to wait. So for now, we are enjoying the down time from our usually busy house building schedule. The work will still be there when the weather warms up but for now we are enjoying the break.

And he said, My presence shall go with thee, and I will give thee rest.

Exodus 33:14